Christopher Zara

Hello. I hope you like this shade of green.

Uneducated is out now from Little, Brown.

Uneducated tells a highly personal story about the education divide and the stigma of being degreeless in a 21st-century knowledge economy. I retrace my ill-fated journey through an overcrowded public-school system; getting classified as “emotionally disturbed”; ejected in 11th grade; being trapped in low-wage service jobs throughout my 20s and 30s; landing a lucky break in journalism; and finally my years-long struggle to assimilate as a high-school dropout in the elite world of New York City media.

At its heart, this is a book about fitting in, overcoming imposter syndrome in a creative white-collar industry that often dismisses non-college-educated people as unqualified. Or worse—unequal.

“By turns hilarious and heartbreaking.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Gorgeously crafted writing.” ―Booklist (starred review)

“A much-needed look at the higher-education system.” —Book Riot

“A savvy account of an interesting life path.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This and Hamnet are two of the most well-written books that I have read this year.” —Bailey @wellredphd

Read my guest essay on the education divide in the New York Times.

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